Orden

medal

noun OR-den Less Common

Origin: from Latin 'ordo' (order, rank)

Also means

religious order

Usage Note

Orden has two senses: a decoration or medal pinned on the chest, and a religious order such as the Jesuits. Beware the false friend: an everyday 'order' for goods is a Bestellung, and a command is a Befehl; the plural Orden matches the singular.

Examples

"Er erhielt einen Orden für Tapferkeit."

Natural Translation

He received a medal for bravery.

Literal Translation

He received a medal for bravery.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

German Word Order: The Verb Rules That Trip You Up

German word order comes down to three verb-position rules: the verb is second in main clauses, last after weil and dass, and time comes before place.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Der, Die, Das: Rules to Guess German Gender

German noun gender rules made simple: check the suffix first, then meaning. Endings like -ung, -chen, and -ling predict der, die, or das with ~90% accuracy.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Numbers 1–100: Why 21 Is Said Backwards

German numbers 1 to 100 reverse the digits: 21 is einundzwanzig (one-and-twenty). Learn the und rule, the irregulars, and how to hear prices fast.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

How to Memorize German Vocabulary Fast

Memorize German vocabulary fast with a five-step workflow: drill the top 100 words, learn nouns with their article, color-code gender, and use spaced repetition

June 5, 2026 6 min read